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| Young Jesus teaching |
'As for the man who leads astray one of these little ones who have faith, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone round his neck. If your hand is your undoing, cut it of; it is better for you to enter into life maimed than to keep both hands and go to hell and the unquenchable fire. And if it is your foot that leads you astray, cut it off; it is better to enter into life a cripple than to keep both your feet and be thrown into hell. And if it is your eye, tear it out; it is better to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than to keep both eyes and be thrown into hell, where the devouring worm never dies and the fire is not quenched.' Mark 9: 41-49
How well Jesus teaches us, using memorable images to help us know what's most important. Here in these verses: hands, eyes and feet are internal places. Jesus is teaching: Your interior life is serious business. So in that inner life steer clear of evil things - let nothing take you away from friendship with God.
And what might that inner menace be? Superficiality. An arrogant heart that looks down on other people. Incessant inner chatter. Stoking the fires of division. Unresolved issues which bring about emotional overload. Maybe even over-commitment which exhausts us, leaving little time for anything else.
It's all an invitation to self-knowledge. Opinion-ating might be an avoidance tactic - deflecting us from the inner work of coming to self-knowledge. An inner life in this state can be a living hell.
